The College Life of the Chosen One
by Christina Wynnwood
Summary: What if Buffy Summers didn't learn of her true calling until college? Would she be more mature, wiser, and easier to deal with? Probably not. AU This is geared towards college students and adults with a little of every genre involved! I hope it's enjoyed!
1. Chapter 1

_What if Buffy Summers never learned of her true calling until college? Would she be wiser, more mature, and easier to work with than she was in high school? _

_Doubtful. _

_Hello all! I've been sitting on this idea for a while when I realized that one of my favorite series of all time (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) took place in those dreaded years of teenage angst. Now that I'm older and going to college myself, I began to wonder how the TV show might have been different if it was geared more towards the college years of her life. _

_That's what I've done here._

_It starts off with a rating of M for a reason. There will be sex later and a lot of gore. It's not a tame fanfic. I hope that doesn't scare off any of my readers. _

_Almost done: Please read and review! I'd love some feedback from people who enjoyed (or even didn't enjoy) my work. _

_And finally, I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I just like to toy with the lives of the characters._

_Enjoy!_

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><p>All throughout high school, Buffy Summers hated going to the library. She seemed to be allergic to the books (or was it the dust?) and the geeky little nerds that always lurked in the shadows of the shelves. However, being in college mandated that she take a trip to the forbidden place at least once every couple of weeks for the proper reading material, lest she fail her classes. That fatal option was too inappropriate, and forced her to beg her best friend, Willow Rosenberg, to accompany her to gather books. At least the red-headed girl knew how to navigate the rows upon rows of dusty tomes.<p>

"Buffy, it really isn't that bad, you know. Just ask the new librarian. He's very nice and would love to help you out." That ploy didn't work, however, and she was convinced to help her friend out.

A half hour later, the sweater and skirt clad Willow stood up next to a computer that was running the search engine software. "You just need to type the name of the book in the computer and…" She did so as Buffy shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously, feeling subconsciously aware of the thick-rimmed glasses that were staring at her. "Bada bing, bada boom! It comes up. Then you write down the number." Picking up her bag, she headed for the stairs of the two-story library. "Here. Head to that shelf."

Buffy took the slip of paper reluctantly with a pout on her face. With some prodding as encouragement from Willow, the blonde girl climbed the stairs.

After fifteen minutes of searching, a triumphant Buffy emerged from the bottom shelf, holding the copy of "The Complete Works of Shakespeare". Willow gave her quiet, sincere applause and a pat on her back. "See? It wasn't so bad! Maybe next time you can do it on your own!"

The frown that Buffy shot back stopped Willow in her tracks. "And… maybe not. 'Cuz I'm your best friend and that's what we do, right?"

"Yep." Buffy draped her arm around her shoulders as they headed back for the stairs. "Not just my best friend but the brainy one, too. Don't forget that part."

They checked the book out with the librarian (a middle-aged man around 40 years of age who gave Willow a pleasant smile, and bid them to have a good day with a thick British accent), before heading back to their dorm.

Much of their things were still in boxes because the semester had only started a week ago. Buffy dropped the book on one of them and then tossed her bag on the bed. "Thanks for going with me on that adventure, Will. I would hate to brave those perils alone."

"You know, it is college, Buffy. It's really not that scary. Especially not the library. I know that the old one was dusty and dark but really! Nothing scary here!" Her smile was a little hopeful, but playful at the same time, because she knew that the tan, fun-lover hated the idea of the books' homes.

Buffy followed her bag onto the bed and spoke slowly. "…I know. But you couldn't leave me all alone to let those geeks cover me in their Star Trek pins and basement breath!"

Willow made a face but knew that her jests were all in good fun. In high school, Buffy had been the same way. She was always tanned, toned, and popular. Willow had been pale, very quiet, and book-oriented. It used to be that she wondered why a girl like Buffy even hung around her after the mandatory stuff had been completed.

In her Sophmore year, Willow was assigned to tutor Buffy and another boy named Xander Harris, to help them pass the year. When the tutoring was done, the three people became unlikely friends and had moved onto the University together.

Taking off her jacket and moving to hang it in the closet, she quietly reflected on the times that she thought that Buffy and Xander were using her. That feeling had passed long ago when Willow lost her mother in a car accident and they were there to take care of her. Since then, she hadn't ever considered that idea again.

"Do ya think Xander might be up for going to the movie this weekend? I could phone him and find out." She paused and the added sheepishly, "I forgot to ask him during Physics…"

Buffy had leaned over the side of the bed and picked up the newspaper and now had a sour look on her face. "I don't know, Will. Another guy's been killed. I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't stay here because staying out late doesn't sound like a good plan."

"That's five people so far, right?" She sat on the bed on the other side of the room and leaned against the wall, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"Six." She continued reading on. "And all the same way. Cops still don't have a lead on a suspect either. I mean, what kind of sicko takes all the blood out of a body?"

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "Vampire? O-or a demon that likes blood?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and tossed the newspaper to her friend. "In any case, I think we should stay in. I've got a bad feeling about going out."

"A-Are you sick? You never want to stay in." She laughed a little bit. "What happened to party-Buffy?"

"I don't know, Will. I've just got a weird vibe about this whole thing, you know? My instinct is all screamy and loud. I think I'm going to listen for once."

Her disappointment didn't last long as she realized that Buffy was quite serious, which rarely happened, so she didn't press it anymore. "Well okay. Maybe we could stay on campus and watch a movie here! We could invite Xander and h-have popcorn and everything. All without risking our necks out on the streets!"

Buffy smiled, showing brightly white teeth. "Thanks, Will. That's a good idea. I'll call Xander and let him know what's going on." True to her word, she flipped open her cell phone and dialed her friend.

After a brief fifteen minute conversation, the last member of the their "Three Musketeers" had been included in on the girls' plans for that Friday night.

With a yawn, Willow announced she was going to bed and Buffy, not wanting to keep her awake, decided that it wasn't a bad idea. After a quick brushing of her teeth and a wash of her face, she donned a cotton nightgown and crawled underneath her blankets. Willow shut off the lights and followed suit, setting the alarm by her bed for the next morning.

It wasn't long before Buffy could hear her roommate's gentle snores in the darkness and she drifted off to sleep as well.

But while Willow slept peacefully on the other side of the room, Buffy was not as lucky.

Not long after she had fallen asleep, she began to toss and turn, twisting her blankets and pulling her sheets. Her body began to sweat and her breath caught in her chest. Even in her sleep, Buffy grabbed at her neck, unable to bring oxygen into her body. She felt pain there; horrible, skin-curdling pain; and the screaming was so loud. It wouldn't stop.

Ears bleeding, she rolled and clutched at them! Anything to make it stop!

And then she saw it.

Two eyes in the darkness, looking up from the freshly ripped open neck of a blonde woman. The blood dripped down the humanoid face, coating pearlescent white fangs that shown in the darkness. The creature dropped its kill when it spotted Buffy and she turned to run but couldn't move. She was frozen to the spot as cold, chilling fingers caressed her face and neck. She could smell the man-like thing in front of her. It scented of dirt, death, and decay. As she saw the fangs move closer to her neck, she opened her mouth to scream.


	2. Chapter 2

_I wrote chapter two rather quickly and decided to get it up right away. I also attached the genres "Adventure" and "Romance" to the fanfic but, like I said before, it's going to have a little bit of everything in it. The site doesn't have a button for "Everything". Lol. _

_Anyway, enjoy chapter two!_

_I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer!_

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><p><em>"ANT-ANT-ANT-ANT-ANT-ANT-ANT!"<em>

Buffy sat bolt upright, chest heaving and sweat glistening on her skin. Wildly, she looked around expecting to see the monster from her nightmare bearing down upon her, preparing to drain her life from her neck. As her eyes focused in the morning light, all she saw were the walls of her dorm, a bare desk, numerous boxers (empty and full), and her red-headed friend getting out of bed to disengage the screaming alarm clock.

Now fully awake, Buffy flopped back onto her sheets, threw a pillow over her head, and groaned out loud. Her body ached like she had ran a few miles and her head was spinning, possibly from the sudden jolt back to reality. Trying to relax her muscles she felt something fluffy land on her chest.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead! You don't want to be late for class." Willow was as cheery as ever in the morning. Buffy grabbed the pillow that she had tossed her way and chucked it back, hoping to hit her square in the face. Considering that there were no protests from her friend, Buffy surmised that she had missed.

Despite her rough night, within the hour she crawled out of bed, showered, dressed, did her makeup, and packed her bag for class.

The next two nights brought the very same nightmare back to Buffy. After the third viewing of her own death by a fanged creature, she was beginning to grow weary from the lack of sleep. No variation in routine intensified this weariness. Classes, homework, and studying were quickly wearing her out.

By the time that the weekend rolled around, Buffy was more than ready to snuggle up to her besties and chow down on some popcorn.

Her classes dragged by Friday morning. Finally, she reached the end of her day. Around seven in the evening, she left her dorm to go return her book to the library since she already finished her assignment. Not wanting to accumulate the late fees, she decided to take it back early.

The library was dark when she entered it and seemingly abandoned. It took multiple rings of the bell on the desk to coax the new librarian out from the shadows. He stumbled over a book cart and came to the front, smiling sweetly all the same.

"Good evening. Unusual to see a student still on campus so late on a Friday evening. Can I help you?" His stuffy British accent made Buffy giggle.

"Buffy Summers," she introduced herself with a firm handshake. "Campus hermit for weekends."

Through the very librarian-looking rims of his glasses, Buffy could see his eyes widen and then narrow almost at the same time. "Buffy. I'm Rupert Giles. I'm your… Librarian. All is well with you, I trust?"

A little disconcerted at the man's odd behavior, she handed him the book that she had borrowed. "It's been alright. College life, you know? Just tryin' to adjust."

He walked back around the counter and proceeded to check the book in via computer. "Freshman, yes?" She nodded. "Let me ask: How have you been sleeping?"

Buffy shivered as his dark eyes focused on her. Perhaps she was being paranoid but that gaze… was so knowing, like he knew about the dreams. Her confident attitude faltered. "Um… I… Sleeping? Well…" she giggled nervously. "You know what they say about college life. Good grades, social life, or enough sleep. You can only have two."

"Indeed, Buffy. Well, your book has been checked in. Could I assist you with anything else?"

She shook her head and wished him a good night. A little creeped out, she left quickly, heading back to her dorm without taking any detours.

The only way to get to her floor was to take the elevator or the stairs because she was on the fourth story. Tonight, she decided to get a little more exercise and walked past the more convenient way. The stairs it was.

Her mind was distracted as she climbed, thinking about the odd looks that that librarian had been giving her. _Am I just being paranoid_, she thought, _or was that guy just way creepy_?

As she neared the third floor landing, someone was lying on the ground. She rushed forward and turned the girl over, only to have a thick, dark red liquid cover her hand. Within an instant, her body turned cold as she stared into the dead eyes of the woman with her throat ripped out.

Buffy's scream echoed through the corridors and it was enough to rouse the students that had stayed for the weekend. Within minutes, the police were called and she was ushered up the landing. Xander and Willow were roused by the commotion and found Buffy on the top step, shaking, with her hand wrapped in a towel.

"Buffy!" Xander's voice was urgent as he sat down next to her. His dark eyes stared into her scared blue ones, piercing, searching for information. "Buffy, what happened? What's wrong?" The poor blonde could only gape at him and sit in shock. Willow tried to the same tactic to no avail. Xander gave up and pulled her into a tight hug to try to stop her shaking, while Willow patted the back of her head.

It wasn't long before a police officer came up to question her. Only when he was satisfied with her answers and he had cleared his suspicions did he take back the towel (which Willow gasped at when she saw the blood) and leave them to go about their night.

They led a shocked Buffy back to her room and Xander crossed to the window to look out of it. There was a hearse on the ground floor, surrounded by news cameras from every station. Another murder had taken place that night and by tomorrow, everyone would know.

Willow suggested that Buffy take a shower and she did, scrubbing her skin hard, as though she could effectively wash away every trace of the memory from her mind. When she came out, she was raw.

"So… Buffy… want to watch that movie?" He didn't need to ask her what happened after hearing the account that she told the police.

She looked around at the popcorn box and fluffy blankets and bean bags chairs and nodded, hoping that something would distract her from the vision of the dead girl's eyes staring at her. Willow closed the curtains to block out the flashing lights from outside and Xander pressed the play button on the DVD player.

A quarter of the way through the movie, Buffy realized that she didn't even know what it was called but she knew it was a romantic comedy, a chick flick and she was willing to bet money that Willow picked it out while she was in the shower. She vaguely recalled wanting to watch a zombie shooter flick that night but she assumed they changed tracks after the night's events. Rather than be angry, she was thankful for her friend's foresight and she settled into the bean bag chair a little more, feeling safe with her buddies and a good-natured film.

When the movie ended, Buffy thanked her friends and said that she wanted to go to sleep. Xander turned to leave but she grabbed his arm with an alarming strength and asked him to stay for the night because she didn't want him walking back to his dorm. Not after…

He nodded and agreed without a fight. Buffy rustled about in the closet and pulled down a blanket for him. He made a bed out of the bean bags and settled down.

The three friends said goodnight and the talking stopped there.

Being exhausted from little restful sleep as it was, Buffy fell asleep with little trouble but tonight, her dreams were different.

She was in the library's back office, sitting on a chair while the Librarian made tea in front of her. He was speaking but a lot of what he was saying wasn't making any sense to her. It was like gibberish.

Here and there, she was able to catch a few snippets of words. "The nightmares will stop in your dreams but you'll be facing them in reality… It's your job to slay them… Part of your calling… You're the Chosen One… Buffy? Are you listening to me?... No, you mustn't scoff… No, I'm not crazy… They're real and they'll kill you if you aren't ready…" He put down the cup of tea and roughly grabbed her by the upper arms, seemingly desperate to convey his point to her. "Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!"

"What?" Buffy sat up and came face to face with Xander who had been shaking her in her sleep. She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. It was still dark. Morning hadn't even come yet.

Xander looked tired and he let go of her arm. "You were tossing and turning. I had to wake you."

She laid a hand on his and squeezed it with a small smile. "Thanks… I… needed it."

He sat down on the bed next to her and she laid back down. "Nightmare, Buff?"

"Sort of… Not as bad as most nightmares go but… too weird for a dream. I didn't wake you, did I?"

He shook his head. "No, don't worry. But you should go back to sleep. I'll wake you back up if you start rolling around again."

With his reassurances, Buffy did fall back asleep and this time, her dreams were absent.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello all! I've got a few people who have signed up with story alerts. Thanks very much for your interest! However, I'd really like some reviews on this fanfiction so I came up with an idea earlier today. _

_If you leave a review that's at least two lines long, I'll gladly review something of yours to help spread and share the love! Sounds like a fair trade to me, right? So tell me what you love, like, hate, loathe, ect and I'll be sure to visit your profile and see what you have going on! _

_For a while now, I've just been writing my own fanfictions and not really visiting others. I need to get out of that habit because I'm missing out on some amazing writers. _

_So if you're liking what you're reading and looking for some feedback for your stuff, leave me a review and I'll return the favor!_

_As always, I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer!_

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><p>This morning, there wasn't a blaring alarm to wake her. Buffy slept peacefully until the sun came in from the windows to hit her face at just the right angle to gently stir her awake. Moaning softly, she tried to turn away from the warm rays and drift back to sleep but it was a futile attempt because she was already awake.<p>

Opening her eyes, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from them. Looking around, she noticed that Willow was gone but Xander was passed out on a row of bean bag chairs. It took her a few moments to recall the movie night that just happened. A few more minutes of thinking brought the chill back into her body as she remembered the eyes of the corpse on the stairs. Quickly she shook her head and hopped out of bed, heading for the comfort of the warm water in the shower.

By the time that she had showered and dried her hair, Willow had come back with donuts and coffee. They both smiled at her. Willow sat cross-legged on her made bed while Xander was sitting on Buffy's desk, chugging a cup of coffee. After exchanging the normal morning pleasantries with the two and picking up a glazed doughnut for herself, she turned her attention to Xander.

"You look like hell. Did you sleep at all?"

Xander, who was sporting dark bags under his drooping eyes, replied politely with a slight sarcastic undertone. "A little but the beads inside the bean bags aren't exactly memory foam, you know?"

Buffy knew better than to let his words sting because he didn't mean them. He always got cranky when he didn't sleep. "Sorry but I didn't want you walking back to your dorm. Not with Mr. Kills-a-lot running around out there."

Willow swallowed and came to join Buffy on her bed to be closer to the other two. "Buffy… the k-killer was in the building last night… could that mean that-that it's one of our classmates?"

The male of the group didn't give Buffy the chance to answer. "I mean, obviously. Who else could have gotten into the building when it was locked?"

"It could be a staff member too, you know. There were a bunch of-of murders out in town so maybe it's someone who gets off campus a lot."

"Whoever it is, it's a real creep. I mean, ripping out the throats of people and just dumping the body in a public place? The world is just full of psychos."

Buffy hadn't responded yet but upon hearing Xander say "creep", she remembered something from the night before. "Willow!"

The mousy woman jumped at being addressed so suddenly. "Y-yes?"

"The new librarian, what do you know about him?"

She stuttered out that she highly doubted that such a dignified British guy would be going about killing people and that he was quite nice to talk to. Even after Buffy explained the man's odd behavior while she was returning her book, Willow looked unconvinced.

"Buffy, I don't think he's anyone to be suspicious about." Xander agreed with the red-head, too, saying that he wouldn't have even had time to get to the stairwell to murder the girl before Buffy got there.

Even this sound logic didn't sway the suspicious feeling in Buffy's gut. Something about that guy seemed off and it was really bothering her. Though her friends weren't supporting her paranoia, she couldn't let it go. However, for the sake of the conversation, she dropped it for the time being.

Outside of their little circle, no one else seemed to have any idea who was responsible for the ring of violent murders. The police had no leads, even after coming back to speak with Buffy about the crime scene as she found it.

Security on campus had been beefed up as well. Every student and faculty member was given a card key with an individual code and the school went as far as to install cameras at strategic points within the campus grounds.

Buffy wasn't sure if any of it made her feel safer.

Every now and then, she would walk past that creepy librarian in the hall and a shiver would run down her spine. The last few times she saw him, he looked like he wanted to stop her to chat but she ducked her head and kept moving, acting like she hadn't seen him at all.

Inevitably though, she needed to traverse the perils of the library again for the sake of her grades. She chose to go alone this time, hoping to make it a quick trip, and she went during the day when there were other students studying there.

As she was typing in the name of her books, the computer made a loud beeping sound and powered down. Frustrated, she tried to turn it back on but nothing worked. She even moved to another device but that one had tanked as well. Knowing that her paper was due in a few days, she had no choice.

"Ah, Buffy! What can I help you with?" His smile and demeanor seemed kind enough and it kept her instinct under control.

"The computers are down and I need to find 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac. It's for a paper."

"Yes, yes, yes. Very good book. Written during a much freer time than the one that we live in." He turned to the card catalog behind him and started to thumb through what Buffy thought was the appropriate drawer. "Those computers of ours have been giving us quite a hard time recently. Really, I prefer the old fashioned way here. Ah! Found it!"

He left the desk to go walk through the shelves.

A few minutes later, he came back and handed the book to her. "May I help you with anything else while you're here, Buffy?" She shook her head, thanked him, and left with the book.

After that encounter with the man, she had to admit that she was feeling pretty foolish for suspecting him of murder. Maybe she was feeling paranoid due to the low light or the fact that she was alone. Maybe the talk of murders outside of the school had her on edge. In any case, it wasn't looking like Mr. Giles, the British Librarian, was out and about, killing people long into the night.

With that thought more or less out of her head, halfway through the week in the evening, she settled down to read her book so she could write her paper. She worried a little bit over the procrastination but tried not to let it bother her.

She was about a hundred pages in when she realized that a big chunk of one section had been ripped out! Normally, she wouldn't have cared but thirty pages weren't there and she cursed herself for not checking the book before she left.

Annoyed, she looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was around eight so the library must still be open. If the paper wasn't due on Friday, she wouldn't have bothered but this was an emergency.

In a hurry, she headed in the direction of the library, taking the damaged book with her to complain to Mr. Giles about.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry that this update has taken so long. There's only so much that I can do since my laptop died. _

_I've got people subscribing to my story but I haven't gotten any reviews yet. As I mentioned with my other chapters, if you review my story then I'll review one of yours so let me know what you think! _

_Of course, I don't own Buffy, but I really wish that I did. It was such a good TV show._

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><p>As she crossed over the threshold of the library, she couldn't help but feel that blasted chill again.<p>

Then, she looked up and saw the air conditioning vents and laughed to herself, thinking that the dimly lit room was affecting her fear levels. Indeed, the library was practically abandoned. The few people that strayed behind the student crowds were crammed into puffy armchairs with tables and lamps included.

As her hand depressed the bell at the main desk, Buffy amused herself by thinking that Mr. Giles was turning the school library into an English study.

"Buffy." His voice was hushed. "Back so soon?"

"Yep." She placed the book on the counter and began to flip to the part that had been ripped out. "See? Major problem here." She handed it to him so that he could inspect it over the rim of his glasses. "Someone was angry with Mr. Kerouac and took it out on his book."

"Indeed. Well Buffy, I'm afraid that all of the other copies have been checked out. Not surprisingly, you weren't the only student who waited until the last minute to complete their assignments." The tone of his voices sounded disapproving and it made Buffy squirm uncomfortably.

It took her a moment to stand back up straight and ask what could be done. "See, I don't like failing courses. I haven't done that since tenth grade when Willow was assigned to tutor me. You know Willow, right? Red-headed library girl? She said that she talks to you a lot." Buffy pressed on without waiting for an answer. "Anyway, she said that you were really helpful so now would be a good time to make with the aiding part or I'm not going to get this paper done on time."

The Librarian blinked a few times, probably not used to the ramblings of young women. When the fog cleared, he stuttered, "W-well, I might have another copy in my office. I could lend it to you, if you'd like. It's a personal copy, mind you, so I'll be wanting it back in the same condition it is in now."

Buffy nodded and accepted the offer, glad that something could be done for her in her time of need. Before he could go back and retrieve the item though, a line of students formed behind her and Giles offered her access to the back office, instructing her that her book was on the book shelf on the right, probably on the their tier.

She crossed into the desk area and opened the wooden door behind Giles. "And don't dally, Buffy. It shouldn't be hard to find."

_What an understatement…_ Buffy thought grimly as she stepped into this new room. This one was dimly lit as well as had to find the light switch on the wall to turn up the lights. Even with them up, the air was a little dusty.

There were quite a few shelves to choose from but she followed her instructions and went to the one on the right, which was next to another door. As she scanned the third tier for _On The Road_, she couldn't help but notice the smell of lavender, chamomile, and mint coming from the other door.

"Ah-ha. Gotcha." She gently pulled the book from the shelf and turned the pages quickly, checking to make sure that they were all there. Satisfied, she turned to leave but stopped, curiosity taking a hold of her.

The scent from his private office was alluring to her, thinking that it smelled very much like one of her body sprays that she wore when she was in high school. Looking back towards the door to the main library, she saw that Giles was still checking the books out of the stragglers so she placed her hand on the wooden door and eased it open.

The smell was stronger at once and Buffy saw the cup of tea maker on the desk among the scattered papers and books. It wasn't very neat and, despite the wonderful smell of the tea, she crinkled her nose in distaste. "Jeez… I thought the British were supposed to be tidy. I guess not." She was turning to leave when something else caught her attention.

Underneath the mountains of paper, a book stuck out more than the others. It was dark and thick, bound in some kind of leather. Her hand reached out unearth it and the cover came into view.

"_Vampyre"_

That was the only word on the front, written in dark red ink. For the second time that night, she felt another shiver and then a thrill go through her as her fingers slid down the side of the front cover, debating on whether or not she should open it.

Without officially coming to a decision, she opened the cover and began to turn the yellowed pages, making faces at the grisly pictures of what looked like crude weapons and wooden stakes. It wasn't until she reached the tenth page or so that she stopped, and her breath caught in her chest.

The office seemed to get smaller at that moment, the walls closing in upon her. She felt suffocated, and had to remind herself to use her lungs.

There, on the page, was the exact creature from her many nightmares.

"I did tell you to hurry."

Buffy quickly closed the book with a start and turned to face Mr. Giles standing in the doorway. His smile was no longer there and she could tell that he wasn't happy to find her there. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Giles. I just-just smelled the tea and I was curious…" It was apparent that her excuses weren't working so she dutifully shut her mouth and picked up the Kerouac book. "I'm sorry, I'll just go."

Mr. Giles didn't move to unblock the doorway. Instead, he moved into and closed the door behind him. Buffy heard the lock click.

"Sit down, Buffy."


	5. Chapter 5

_Here's another chapter from me. Sorry that it's taken so long. My laptop died a few weeks back and I've only just been able to buy a new one. I wish things weren't so expensive nowadays. _

_Anyway, as with the other chapters, if you review something of mine, I'll be glad to return the favor as soon as I have the chance. _

_I hope that you enjoy what you read. Let me know what you love or what you hate. Please and thank you! _

_I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer._

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><p>Strangely, Buffy found that she had lost her voice. Being the type of woman that she was, she normally would have demanded that she be let out at once. She might even attempt to get physical with the older librarian. However, her keen eyes took in the shadows that moved across his face from the dim desk lamp and she sat down, intimidated suddenly by the odd situation.<p>

"You may relax, Buffy, I'm not going to hurt you. I imagine that I'm just as nervous as you are. This is my first time delivering this speech." He took off his glasses and began to polish them on his shirt.

"Speech?" Though she was asked to relax, she did nothing of the sort. "What speech? Could we maybe continue this little pow-wow outside? It's a little cramped and creepy in here." The annoyed look on his face made her chance her tactics in the case that he was deranged. "I mean, it's a quaint, little office but not meant for two people, you know?"

Mr. Giles ignored her banter and picked up the book that she had come across by mistake. Heavily, he moved to seat himself in a chair that was identical to Buffy's. Moving closer, he sighed and then leaned forward, showing the title in her direction.

"In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness." He paused, then pressed on. "You are the Slayer."

The silence that followed his spiel was as dry as the dusty air. At first, Buffy made no motion to even acknowledge that she had heard him. "Buffy?"

Her right eyebrow disappeared under her perfect blonde bangs then. "You're kidding me, right? Slayer? Like… An assassin? Really." She looked underneath the desk and strode to the crowded bookshelves. "Where's the hidden camera? Who set you up to this one? Willow? Xander?"

"C-Camera? Buffy, I'm afraid that I don't-"

Her hair whipped around her face as she turned to look at him. "Hidden camera, you know? This is like one of those reality TV show set ups. You know, one of my friends sets me up with a seriously creepy librarian who feeds me lines about 'demons' and 'forces of darkness' and I'm supposed to wig out."

Mr. Giles appeared to be clueless.

"You know? MTV?"

He shook his head and laughed nervously. "Buffy, this is no practical joke. I'm being completely serious."

Buffy headed towards the door now, _On the Road_ clutched firmly in her left hand. "Right. By telling me that my childhood monsters exist. Let me out."

The librarian shook his head and turned back to the old book in his hands. Opening the cover, he flipped through it until it landed on a different picture of the beast from Buffy's dreams.

Another shiver passed through her and Mr. Giles noticed. "Chilling, isn't it? It's the creature of nightmares, Buffy. Your nightmares, if I'm not mistaken."

She didn't know how he knew about the nightmares but she was starting to really get irritated at these perverted games. "Look. Mr. Giles, let me out of here. I have work that I need to finish. If you let me go now, I won't tell anyone this happened and we can just go about our every day life."

He shook his head. "Buffy, you need to understand what I'm telling you. This isn't a game or prank. I'm not pulling a practical joke on you. All the things that you feared as a child; demons, monsters, vampires; they all exist and there is one woman in all the world who is Chosen to fight them off, to protect the world from certain destruction. The Slayer."

Her hand flew to her hip. "And now I'm some kind of superhero that's supposed to save the whole planet? Do I at least get a cape?" Her sarcasm was biting in the darkened room, showing that she really had lost her patience.

It appeared that Mr. Giles felt the same way. "The other Watchers didn't have nearly as much trouble with their charges" he muttered to himself, closing the book and laying it on the table next to him. He leaned back in the chair and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you going to let me out now, Mr. 'Watcher'?"

"Giles, actually. Surname only. None of this mister business. And no, I'm not. If you were to sit down and actually listen then I might consider it. Until then, we're both stuck in here."

Buffy turned and began to eye the door, considering breaking it open by force.

"And don't bother. It's reinforced steel." His voice was annoyed. "Now sit down."

_Okay. I'll play along_. She took her seat again and glared at him, appearing rather childlike at that moment.

They stared at each other for a few minutes. Knowing that she should have been uncomfortable, Buffy wondered why she wasn't more frightened, or even weirded out. Her instincts were normally very kind to her and none of her typical warning bells were sounding in her head at the moment.

Giles wasn't sure what to make of her. Beforehand, he had prepared for his speech like any good Watcher would but when he was confronted by the Slayer herself, he had forgotten his words and lost his composure.

He blamed the Council for the way that she was acting. The other Slayers knew of the life well before they were called and took the position with honor and a sense of duty. Buffy had been one Potential that had slipped through the cracks. Knowing nothing of the underworld put her at a serious disadvantage to the women that were called before her. Now, Giles was put in charge of a headstrong civilian with a certain attitude problem.

"Well?" Buffy prompted him to call him out of his thoughts. "You had some explanations for me, I assume? Or we could sit here and stare at each other until we get bored. Oh wait." She smirked with sarcasm. "I'm already there."

"Y-Yes, well, as I said, you're the Slayer." He tried his best to regain his composure.

"Got that. What exactly does that mean?"

Giles took a deep breath and prepared for what was sure to be a long explanation.


End file.
